Don't have a job; Asian Games star forced to sell tea

Crippled with financial constraints and unemployment, an Asian Games bronze medallist Harish helps his father Mohanlal run the tea stall

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Aditya K Halder

New Delhi

September 8, 2018

UPDATED: September 8, 2018 13:37 IST

Harish Kumar won a bronze medal in sepak takraw at the Asian Games (ANI Photo)

For most athletes in India, the day starts on the training pitch, put through the paces for their ultimate dream. For sepaktakraw athlete Harish Kumar, the morning happens over a cup of tea - at a tea stall run by him in Majnu ka Tilla here.

Crippled with financial constraints and unemployment, an Asian Games bronze medallist Harish helps his father Mohanlal run the tea stall - a primary source of income for the family. His father drives auto-rickshaw in the morning as a source of an extra income, forcing Harish to push his trainingschedule for afternoon to make ends meet.

"Since I don't have a job at the moment, I have to help my family earn somehow. That's why I work at my father's tea stall in the morning. Since I help my country win an Asian Games medal, I hope it will help me a get a government job soon and I can help my family more," Harish told Mail Today on Friday.

Despite the hardships, it is impossible to keep the youngest member of the sepaktakraw side away from the game, as he devotes three to four hours of his afternoon to the game. One could feel the excitement in his voice when he talks about his beloved sports.

"Sepaktakraw is a beautiful game. It is a combination of football'sdribbling and gymnastics' agility. I play as the main striker of the team. Many asked me to leave the game and find some job but I could never do it. The medal was prize of my devotion," said the Delhi lad.

Harish wasn't the only Delhi sepaktakraw player who represented India at the Asian Games. Apart from him, senior players Sandeep, Lalit and Dheeraj are regular members of the team. All three of them work for Sashtra Seema Bal; a job they got through sports quota.

Harish was also called for the same job's interview in Guwahati, but lack of financial support meant he had to give it a miss.

"I was also supposed to go for the SSB's interview in Guwahati but I didn't have money to go there. I always regret missing that opportunity; today I could have had that job,"he said.

However, Harish blames nobody for his plight and thanked the Delhi government and Sepaktakraw federation of India (SFI) for helping him.

"I am grateful to Delhi government for always helping me. Our MLA Alka Lama (Chandni Chowk constituency) always kept in touch with me and my family before going for Asian Games. Even Arvind Kejriwal ji (Delhi CM) got in touch with me after we won the medal and has promised a reward of Rs 50 lakh. I also want to mention the federation and my coach Hemraj Sir gave who often helped me monetarily and it is because of them I reached here," Harish concluded.

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